Sky Sports darts presenter Emma Paton once disclosed that she is an avid devotee of Manchester United.
The TV star has become a favourite among fans since taking over key darts tournaments such as the Premier League and World Matchplay at Sky. Paton is currently a constant fixture on UK screens as she hosts the Worlds at Alexandra Palace.
Yet, for those curious about her football allegiance, the mystery was dispelled when Paton revealed her support for the Red Devils in May 2023 while attending the Women’s FA Cup final featuring United against Chelsea. Flaunting her support for the Old Trafford outfit, Paton took to social media before the match, posting a selfie en route to Wembley Stadium, where she donned the team’s jersey with the caption: “Wembley bound! Come on @ManUtdWomen!!”
While Paton has charmed viewers with her extensive knowledge and cool demeanour under pressure, not many fans will know that her ability to perform on the biggest stage is possibly due to her past as an athlete. Originally an Olympic-standard competitor over 400 metres, Paton was a budding star before stepping off the track and into sports journalism, reports the Mirror.
“Some of the best years of my life were spent training at Loughborough University and mixing with arguably the best 400-metre runners in the country,” she once said. However, her pivot to Sky seems to have more than paid off.
“I’ve been at Sky for 12 years, working longer behind the camera than in front of it, seven years on the production team at Good Morning Sports Fans (Sky Sports News’ breakfast show) getting up at 3am to edit interviews, prepare scripts and design graphics,” she said.
She further detailed how she found her niche in darts: “My dream was to be a Sky Sports presenter, not to be sat in newsroom cutting Jose Mourinho press conferences into 20-second clips, and I spent years literally knocking on doors to see if there was an opportunity.
“I owe a lot of what I do now to a guy called Rory Hopkins, who produced the darts for decades on Sky. When Dave Clark, who presented our coverage so brilliantly for so long, decided to take a step back from doing it, I remember getting an email from Rory which simply said, ‘Do you like darts?’
“And I thought, ‘Darts? Yeah, OK… it’s a sport I hadn’t worked in before and I’ve followed a legend, which is what Clarky is, and I was diving into a whole new environment.”
When Clark hung up his microphone at Sky in 2020, Paton had big shoes to fill, including those of fan-favourite Laura Woods, who was once a staple on Sky’s darts broadcasts. Yet for Paton, what began as mere employment has blossomed into something much more.
“I’ve always been a darts fan but nothing like I am now, doing every major event for Sky,” said Paton, gearing up for the excitement of the 2024 World Championship.
Paton’s love for Ruben Amorim‘s United is not an unpopular choice of a Premier League side in the darts world. United enthusiast and darting sensation Luke Littler took massive strides into the limelight during last year’s PDC World Championship at just 17, earning himself the opportunity to mingle with United’s stars at their Carrington training ground.
Additionally, Littler was treated to a premium experience at Old Trafford for a match against Tottenham back in January, where he rubbed shoulders with club legend Sir Alex Ferguson. Paton is now set to navigate viewers through the thrills of the World Championships as they intensify tonight (Thursday, January 2).
‘The Nuke’ is gunning to reach the summit again but will be hoping to claim the title that eluded him last year. Stephen Bunting, an ardent Liverpool supporter, stands in his way, however.
Following his triumph over Nathan Aspinall in the quarterfinals on New Year’s Day, the teenage prodigy now faces the daunting challenge of the man who dashed Peter Wright’s hopes. Meanwhile, Michael van Gerwen readies himself for a showdown with Chris Dobey in the other anticipated semifinal match-up.